KR20170058929A - Deployable flexible flood mitigation wall - Google Patents

Abstract

A new design and construction method for making flexible flood - relieved walls made from fabrics and membrane materials. The inflatable flexible flood mitigation wall system includes a fabric / membrane wall and a support post configured to be movable between the containment and deployment locations, wherein the wall in the deployed position forms an anti-flood barrier to flooding or other fluids. A manually developed series of posts is used to support the fabric wall when it is hydrostatically challenged and to transfer the load to the ground.

Description

Expandable flexible flood mitigation wall {DEPLOYABLE FLEXIBLE FLOOD MITIGATION WALL}

The present invention relates to a flexible flood mitigation system that is scalable in size, shape and orientation for a variety of applications. The present invention may be used to seal some or all of the openings from the flood water or other fluid threats, or to completely surround the building or structure for protection.

Flood events can be facilitated by natural and artificial inputs. These events can be particularly challenging for buildings and infrastructure located near water or water. Traffic systems and buildings in these areas below normal waterlines are particularly vulnerable. Sudden storms, sudden floods, sudden floods, sea level rise and seismic activity are some of the challenges posed by nature. Accidents, terrorism, and mechanical failures are artificial threats that can lead to flooding or intensify floods caused by natural disasters.

Many underground and vehicle tunnels under the world 's waterline have been flooded. Numerous buildings and structures such as substations also underwent flooding. Hurricane Sandy struck New York in 2012 so much that subway systems were flooded and economic losses were unprecedented. The inflow points of the water include the entrance to the subway, the entrance to the stairwell, the ventilation passage, the exit and the elevator passage. The car tunnels were also flooded like many buildings. This was one of the worst floods in history, but it was just one of many incidents in the subway system of major cities around the world.

There are many types of flood mitigation wall systems commercially available. These include sand bags, inflatable walls, deployable mechanical walls, and flooded doors. Most of these devices are stored remotely and transported to the point of use when needed. This requires users to receive large-scale transportation plans and prepared training to provide effective safeguards. Mechanical systems, such as rigid doors stored in the site of use, require significant changes to the infrastructure during installation, large storage space for concealment and frequent maintenance, and are expensive to install. Because of this, they are often unacceptable in many applications.

Fabric and membrane based flexible flood mitigation walls provide significant advantages over existing wall devices. Most notably, the wall system can be packed in small volumes for storage. This not only keeps the flexible flood mitigation walls in a small volume compatible with the available space, but also minimizes the changes required to the infrastructure to install it. The membrane walls themselves are shaped to minimize the stress of the material (determined by thin-wall pressure vessel equations, in particular by pressure and radius). Place the wall by first removing the cover over the storage trench in front of or around the opening / building to be protected. The posts held in the trench with the membrane walls are lifted and placed in the receiver. A fabric wall attached to the trench along its base is raised and attached to the post. When water, waves, and suspended trash collide against a wall, the load is transferred from the fabric to the post and to the ground. The posts can be straight columns and can be supported for additional bending strength and load control of the trenches. Flexible fabric walls can be made of one or several layers or various types of materials to protect them from all kinds of hazards, including water pressure, wave action, floating waste shocks or even chemical hazards.

Flexible flood mitigation walls can follow all perimeter shapes with embossed and intaglio corners, angle changes, or gradient changes. It is possible to completely surround the structure continuously or to easily attach the seal portion to the opening portion with respect to the side surface of the opening portion by adding a sealing material to the post adjacent to the building.

Flexible flooding mitigation walls may also be used as containment devices to allow fluids to remain in the area and prevent leakage. This can be in the form of a wall that can be placed around a place where hazardous material is used and the effluent must be stored.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an expandable flexible overflow mitigation wall that is scalable in size, shape and orientation for a variety of applications.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an expandable flexible flood mitigation wall that can maximize the inherent advantages of fabrics and membrane materials.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flexible flexible flood mitigation wall that is permanently affixed to the surface of the fabric wall seal to prevent leakage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an expandable flexible flood mitigation wall that is stored underground at the point of use and is simple to deploy.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an expandable flexible flood mitigation wall that can be packed in a small volume for storage and minimizes the changes required to the infrastructure for installation.

An expandable flexible fluid retaining wall system according to the present invention comprises a membrane flexible wall; A series of rigid posts supporting the wall; Each having a cover, at least one selected from the group consisting of a trench or a surface box; A mounting structure disposed on the at least one selected from the group consisting of the trench or the exposed box to receive the post and the flexible wall; And a seal, wherein the flexible wall may be sealed to the mounting structure to prevent passage of fluid.

The inventive flexible flood mitigation walls of the present invention are scalable in size, shape, and orientation for a variety of applications and have high reliability with no leakage. In addition, the system can be deployed as quickly as possible, and can be packed in small volumes for storage, minimizing the infrastructure changes required for installation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows an assembly with corners and a deployed flexible wall.
Figure 2 is a view of an assembly having a corner and a flexible wall packed with the cover removed.
Figures 3A-3D are views showing some possible structures of the fabric wall.
Figure 4 is a view of a termination assembly of a flexible wall.
5 is a view showing an assembly in a packed state.
Figure 6 is a view of an assembly in an unfolded position.
7 is a view of an assembly in a deployed position at a building / structure junction;
Figure 8 is an illustration of an assembly in a deployed position with a support.

1 is a perspective view of a deployable flexible overflow wall having a wall in an unfolded position 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view of a deployable flexible overflow wall 100 in a retracted state with the cover removed. 3 to 8 are detail views showing the main features of the expanded flexible inflatable wall 100, respectively. The expanded flexible overflow wall is also referred to as a flex-wall.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, the expandable flexible overflow wall 100 includes a textile and membrane flexible wall 101, a trench 102, a trench 102, 103, a mounting plate 104, a post 105, a clamping post 106, a support 107, a receiver 108, a wall seal 109, a rope 110, An anchor 111 (anchor), and a cover 112. Fig.

The flexible wall 101 can be folded and stored in the trench 102 and moved from the retracted position to the deployed position or vice versa. The flexible wall 101 is attached to the mounting plate 104 by a sealing clamp 103 and the Deadman 113 termination is used for the flexible wall 101 so as to prevent it from escaping from the sealing clamp 103 It is possible. The sealing clamp 103 provides a leakproof seal between the flexible wall 101 and the mounting plate 104. The gasket seal 114 is disposed between the mounting plate 104 and the trench 105 to provide a leak-tight seal. In order to deploy the flexible wall 101, the cover 112 on the trench 102 must first be removed. The posts 105 are lifted or rotated into the receiver 108 secured to the mounting plate 104. The flexible wall 101 is vertically lifted and attached to the post 105 via the anvil 111 on the sling 110 and the post 105 on the flexible wall 101. [ Water or other fluid impinging on the flexible wall 100 applies a load to the posts 105 and then loads them into the receiver 108 which is repelled by the trenches. The flexible wall 101 may be stored in various ways such as curling or folding.

The flexible wall 101 may terminate in the post 105 by clamping it between the post 105 and the clamping post 106. [ The gasket seal 114 on the clamping post 106 seals the flexible wall 101 to prevent water from passing therethrough. The "deadman" (113) termination is added to the end of the wall to prevent it from falling out when a load is applied to the wall. The sealing posts 106 may be disposed on any side of the posts 105 for convenience. This clamping arrangement can be used to close the evolving flexible overflow wall 100 to a building or structure, to make an entrance along the span, or to make a connection at the corner, and the flexible wall 101 needs to be finished Or any other configuration required where two flexible walls 101 are coupled to a leak-free assembly may be used. The posts 105 can be installed with a fixed or removable wall seal 109 to form a leakproof seal between the deployable flexible overflow wall 100 and the building or structure.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the deadman 107 consists of a flexible wall webbing 115, an inner core wrapped by a flexible wall membrane 112. The inner core provides strength and geometry that can not be compressed through the clamping system. The webbing 115 is an extension of the webbing structure of the flexible wall 102. The webbing is wrapped around the inner core and sewn to form a loop. This connection provides a path for the load from the flexible wall 101 to the mounting plate 104 and thereafter to the trench 102. The mounting plate 104 may be physically connected to the trench 102 or not. A protective cover 113 may be added to improve the restoring force against the flexible wall 101 when rough handling or impact is expected. The webbing 115 can be joined at regular intervals through stitching, sealing, bonding, a combination of these, or the like. The webbing 114 may be coated or impregnated with a plastic or elastomeric coating agent or may not be coated. The membrane 116 is disposed adjacent the webbing 115 assembly and increases in size to assure load transfer of the webbing 115 assembly. The membrane 116 prevents the transfer of water through the flexible wall 101. The membrane may be any number of materials including polymer coated fabrics, elastomeric sheets, plastic films, and the like. It should be understood that fabrics, webbings, straps, etc. may be made of high strength materials such as KEVLAR, graphite, glass, metal, ceramic, composite fibers and combinations thereof. 3A-3D illustrate some possible combinations of materials for illustrative purposes as those skilled in the art, and will consider equivalents and alternatives to the exemplary arrangements shown when reading this disclosure.

It is shown in Fig. 8 that a support 107 can be added to the post 105, for a wall subjected to a stronger pressure against the threat of high water or impact. This reduces the bending load of the posts 105, making the posts smaller and easier to handle, reducing the torsional load of the trenches 102 and making the trenches smaller.

Flexible flood mitigation is an unfolded wall for developing the technical level of the flood mitigation system by maximizing the inherent advantages of fabrics and membrane materials.

The flexible flood mitigation system consists of fabric and membrane walls, posts to support the wall during deployment, a base plate to secure the post receivers and walls, and a trench with a protective cover.

The flexible wall is folded and stored in the trench with the post until a possible flooding event is identified. At this time, the trench cover is removed, the post is erected and inserted into the receiver, and the flexible wall is lifted and attached to the post. Once deployed, the walls prevent the passage of water at considerable hydrostatic pressure (from 0 to about 10 feet of pressure head). The wall terminates below the clamping bar and seal on the base of the trough on the mounting plate. The deadman assembly can be used with a clamp to prevent the flexible wall from falling out when a load is applied. At the end of the event, the wall is separated from the post and folded into the trench. The posts are then removed from the receiver and stored in the trenches. The cover is then reinstalled on the trench to protect the system. The cover may preferably be applied to tamperproof fasteners or hinges and may also be a load rating that can withstand the ride of the vehicle.

The wall assemblies are stored underneath the point of use and are simple to deploy, allowing the user to deploy flood mitigation systems as quickly as possible and close to flooding events. This is important for high-traffic applications such as transportation systems or businesses where downtime is a revenue loss. The point of use store keeps the possibility of parts being lost over time when storing items remotely. Also, the seal of the fabric wall is permanently secured to the ground to ensure a leak-free, high-reliability system. Most of the deployment systems can not effectively seal to the floor due to surface roughness, cracks, and surface undulations, resulting in leakage. This results in the need for a pump and power for it to remove the leaks, which are often not available in storm and flood events.

The trench and wall assemblies may be designed to form a perimeter by surrounding a structure of any shape and may include concave and convex shapes. It may be formed on slopes, or across traverses, and may be placed on the ground in the form of a bench. Trenches are generally made of concrete to withstand the load of water impacting the open wall, and can be of any shape or size to accommodate low or high walls. If a resistance load from the post load to the trench is excessive in the trench, a deployable support can be added to the post. The support leads the load to the landing point of the support and greatly reduces the load induced in the trench. In addition, the spacing of the posts may be altered to increase the strength of the wall by bringing them close to each other, or by reducing the cost of the wall by spreading the spacing.

Flexible wall assemblies prevent wall collisions and prevent hydraulic forces from being applied to the structures it protects (glass windows, etc.). This can be done by moving the trench away from the structure, or by tilting the post away from the structure if the trench is near the structure, and an independent flexible member (rope, cable, etc.) strung from the top of the post to the trench, a channel or a series of large belt loops can be formed and the wall can be easily deployed in captive wind.

Flexible wall systems may be adjacent to, and sealed to, structures such as buildings, walls or entrances. This is done by adding a seal between the last post and the building. Also, since the flexible wall may be obstructed, a passage may be created to allow passage of the pedestrian to the end when the wall is sealed. This is possible because the wall can start or stop at the column using a superimposed wall sealing system. It consists of a flexible wall with a deadman assembly, tied between two tangential posts. Deadman is a flexible assembly that is larger than the spacing between posts, so it is permanently tied without slippage between posts. The face seal of the posts in this area prevents leakage through the mated wall section.

The second form of the invention is the use of the same or similar but less structured version for use as a protection barrier against human or vehicle traffic flows, wind, flying objects, and the like. The function of the system is the same, but the force exerted on the system is potentially lower in this case and other materials may be used.

101: fabric and membrane flexible wall 102: trench
103: sealing clamp 104: mounting plate
105: post 106: clamping post
107: support 108: receiver
109: wall seal 110: rope
111: anchor 113: cover

Claims (26)

Membrane flexible wall;
A series of rigid posts supporting the wall;
Each having a cover, at least one selected from the group consisting of a trench or a surface box;
A mounting structure disposed on the at least one selected from the group consisting of the trench or the exposed box to receive the post and the flexible wall; And
Seal
Lt; / RTI >
The flexible wall is sealed to the mounting structure to prevent passage of fluid. A deployable flexible fluid retention wall system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the wall is comprised of one selected from the group consisting of one and a plurality of material layers and wherein the one or more material layers provide fluid retention and structural support to inhibit static fluid pressure, dynamic fluid pressure, Expandable flexible fluid retaining wall system.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the flexible wall is formed (recessed) to reduce stress in the wall.
3. The method of claim 2,
The wall may comprise an elongate member for structural support comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of fabric, webbings, straps, belts, tapes, Flexible fluid retaining wall system.
5. The method of claim 4,
Each member of a group of fabrics, webbing, straps, belts, tapes, and combinations thereof may be woven to provide a single piece or a combination of members, Flexible fluid retaining wall system.
5. The method of claim 4,
At least one member selected from the group consisting of a fabric, a webbing, a strap, a belt, and a tape is an expanded type that is connected to another member by at least one of stitching, welding, bonding, Flexible fluid retaining wall system.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the flexible wall comprises a fabric or film coated for fluid retention.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein at least one additional layer of fabric is included to provide resilience or redundancy.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein a portion or all of the perimeter of the wall is comprised of a flexible "deadman" that is connected to the structure and the pressure-retaining layer.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the " deadman " is comprised of a flexible rope, cable or an assembly of flexible material.
10. The method of claim 9,
The " deadman " transfers load from the wall to the post or mounting structure.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the flexible features of the wall facilitate at least one of rolling, folding, and combinations of the walls for storage.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the posts are removable or hinged to be stored for storage in the trench or the exposure box.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein one or more posts can be placed together to clamp the wall and resist load.
The method according to claim 1,
The post having a component attached to the trench from the top of the post to create a channel for supporting the flexible wall during and after the wind is deployed.
16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the component is a cable.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the posts are comprised of at least one material from the group consisting of metal, plastic, combinations thereof and composite materials.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the post has an arbitrary cross sectional shape and has at least one vertical shape selected from the group consisting of a straight line and a tapered shape.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the posts are angled and have any cross-sectional shape.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the posts are supported and have any cross-sectional shape.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the flexible wall can be configured to be disposed in any direction to wrap any type of building or structure.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the flexible wall can be terminated and sealed at any post position.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the flexible wall can be sealed against an opening in a structure, a building or a building such as a door or a window.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the wall can be stored underground in the trench or can be stored on the ground in the exposure box.
The method according to claim 1,
The wall may be used to block the fluid, or may be used to influence or guide a person or vehicle.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the wall can be sealed to the trench by a clamp.

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